Wings of Trial
by Rahar Moonfire
Summary: The road to adulthood is hard, the actual change from adolescent to adult...can be deadly. A newborn ruled by emotion and sensation must be grounded or they will die. A phoenix must rise from the fire or be burned to ash. Freedom is a luxury that can kill
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Saint Beast in any way, shape, or form.

**Pairings:** LucaRei and YudaShin mostly with a little GohGai mixed in there. Enjoy.

**~Prologue~**

Throughout their lives, angels experience three growth stages: infancy, adolescence, and adulthood. As an infant, an angel will stumble about trying desperately to find their place in the strange world they find outside the comfort and safety of their cocoon they hatched from. They take in everything they can with wide eyed innocence and awe and are treated with the utmost care and love. During this stage, they learn how to speak, how to commune with the other creatures of their world, and how to start honing their skills in preparation for their coming adolescence.

Once their body has adapted itself fully to their surroundings to the point that they cast their first spell, they become adolescents. They fall into a deep sleep enveloped in soft, silken threads. A cocoon. The last embrace of their parent planet before they are left in their elders capable hands. This is a celebrated occasion and considered a huge step towards maturity. However, the road to adulthood is hardly over.

Throughout their adolescences, young angels work to master their newfound powers, sometimes to comically disastrous results. But over time, as their bodies grow they become more self-assured and calm. Well, the later is actually a choice that some angels chose not to accept.

Also during their adolescence, young angels begin to notice their peers and elders from a different perspective. Emotions and sensations are brought abruptly to the forefront as these younglings start take a more than casual interest in others. It is during this stage that partnerships and potential pairings are formed. Pheromones and scents unique to each young angel become stronger and much more attractive drawing in other angels. These scents are passably pleasant to some angels and incredibly, addictive to others. But no matter what, permanent steps are not taken towards finding a mate until the adolescent angel becomes an adult.

The process of changing stages varies greatly from angel to angel. For some it is a slow process in which the angel feels ill, weak, tired, a mix of these, or all of them simultaneously. For others it is an abrupt and painful change that can take a young angel completely by surprise. And for others still, it can be a combination of both of the previous methods.

No matter how it happens, one thing is always remains constant. Upon becoming adults, the angels experience a sudden intense drive to soar through the air and mate. Their logical minds flee for the first day or so leaving behind an emotion and sensation driven creature of intense beauty and sirenic attraction. All angels in the area will sense the change immediately and any potential or interested mates will seek out the new adult in hopes of taking them to mate.

But it isn't as easy as all that, oh no. Any angels already mated or bonded to another and therefore unaffected by the sensual newborns will try to keep them grounded. For if the new adult angel takes flight whether on fresh adult wings or by leaping and gliding, then the only way to bring them back from their wild minds is for a hopeful mate to catch the newborn.

Grounding a newborn is difficult. First the potential mate must fight the other hopefuls for the newborn's attention, overcome the newborn's instinct driven actions, and either fly them if the newborn has wings or ride them once they've landed relatively safely. A newborn adult will be crazed by the sheer amount and intensity of the emotions and sensations they will feel and will fight to stay free in the sky.

If they are not grounded before flight or mated in flight or after being grounded, then they will continue to fly free and unrestrained until they die. For while a newborn's instinctive prowess and sirenic beauty is enticing to angels, they are also attractive to predators who prey on them. For while the new adult angels are not in their right minds, they are utterly defenseless against their enemies.

Too few adolescents survive the change. So many were not caught in time or out flew their potential mates and soared off into the distance never to be heard from again, if they were lucky. Those unlucky ones, what was left of them, would be found later mangled and bloody and lifeless.

Reida knew this. He _knew_ this, but how was he supposed to raise this as-yet-to-be-awakened adolescent into adulthood if the child was already too pretty for his own good? Perhaps the child would find someone to care for him enough to stop at nothing to ground him. The elder couldn't bring himself to imagine what would happen if he lost yet another newborn adult to the wilds of this world. The Goddess knew he had barely been able to catch Luca before he flew off to his destruction.

If he could not stop this youth, then what? How could he look at himself again?

The old angel raised his deep mahogany eyes to the silken cocoon before him as these thoughts raced through his head.

_Oh Rei, you must live. I will see to it you live to find a mate and settle down_. _You must live, Rei. You must._


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Well, I hope y'all are liking this. Please leave some sort of feedback though, that'd be great. It'd make me feel like my writing is worth something. Plus it encourages me to update faster. ;)

**Chapter 1**

Rei stirred as his dreams of peace and sweet smelling flowers faded away as the waking world slowly made itself known. He twitched fitfully, longing to regain those peaceful dreams but finally surrendered when his eyes fluttered open. His vision was filled with the soft light of silken white strands, thin as spider web and soft as a down blanket.

He did not want to move from his until now comfortable position, but his cramping muscles urged him otherwise. He moaned and stretched his legs feeling the material stretch then pop as his bare feet tasted freedom and fresh air for the first time in…how long had it been?

Now that his feet were free, his arms begged for the same feeling, the same beautiful sensation. Eager for more of that feeling and anxious to free himself of the soft bonds, Rei began pulling at the threads with his fingers and kicking the bindings until he finally emerged into the open air.

The sunlight was much brighter than he remembered and he blinked as his pupils struggled to adjust. Long strands of what he hoped was his hair tickled his face and he shook his head as the feeling of it threatened to send shivers down his back. Odd, he couldn't remember ever being this sensitive before. It was a bit overwhelming, but it felt…good. Surprisingly good.

The new adolescent felt so wonderfully good. So free, like the wind in the sky. The sky. If he could fly then he could be free and feel oh, so good. If only he had wings like some of the elder adult angels then he could have his freedom.

"Easy, little one. You've only just awakened, don't move so fast. You've been asleep for almost a year now," the Elder Angel said, gently easing the youth to his feet.

"R-Reida-sama?"

"Yes, it's me, child."

"Have I really been asleep for a year?" Rei asked.

The old, grey haired angel chuckled lightly as the petite, violet haired angel stumbled then blushed prettily. Reida sighed mentally. The poor youth was indeed much too beautiful for his own good. He would have to deal with more than a few hopeful suitors. Maybe even the last young angel he raised to maturity, Luca, would find an interest this beautiful youth.

Carefully, the elder guided the younger to the nearest Meeting House, the boy was limping and literally falling asleep on his feet. Mercifully, Yuda strode out of the woven wood structure just when Reida came around the trunk of the next tree over.

Relieved, Reida called out to his former student. "Yuda! Yuda, could you help me out with this?"

The flame haired adult angel looked over at his former teacher's call and smiled widely at the amusing sight. "Of course, Reida-sama."

The jovial angel took the semiconscious new adolescent into his arms. "So, this must be the new adolescent you've been so busy with recently. What's his name?"

"His name is Rei. Yuda, would you mind telling me when Luca will be available? I need to speak to him. And Yuda, keep a sharp eye on this one. If I'm right, he may end up being a rather difficult one to ground. I'm sure you can smell him already."

Sharp blue eyes met dark mahogany for a moment. "Yes, I can, and I can tell you that if I wasn't already interested in someone else. But even with that I can't help but…" A light blush dusted his cheeks.

Reida nodded understandingly. "Indeed, I see your point. But would it be possible for you to keep him here with you? I'm sure Goh and Luca could wouldn't mind having another adolescent among them. Speaking of which, how are Shin and Gai?"

Now the blush became incredibly apparent on the younger adult angel's face. "Goh has taken another adolescent under his wing named Gai. He reminds me distinctly of a cat."

Reida laughed outright at that. "Ah, well then. In that case, I'm afraid your hands will be full. Rei here seems to have a rather big obsession with birds."

"Oh Heaven help us," Yuda exclaimed, only to suddenly reign in his humor when Rei moaned and changed positions in his arms.

"How's everyone else? Shin, for instance?" Reida asked with a knowing smirk pulling at his lips.

"Shin is going to change soon. He's dizzy all the time now, and I'm forcing him to take it easy." Yuda took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "And his scent as definitely become more powerful. If I would wager a guess, I'd say he's going to change within a day or two. I plan to catch him before he has a chance to leave to ground. I'll cross my fingers my luck holds up anyway."

"Indeed, as will I. But how is Luca?" Reida asked.

"Luca is well although I'm not exactly sure where he is at the moment. He's been a bit restless lately."

"Really? He hasn't found a mate yet? That's rather unusual."

Yuda cocked an eyebrow. "Well he was your student. And wasn't this little adolescent in the changing phase for a year? Isn't that a bit unusual too?"

Reida sighed. "Yes, it is. But I think he'll make up for in time. Speaking of time, I'm afraid I must go. I've received word the humans are massing again."

Yuda's shoulders drooped. "Again? What happened this time?"

The elder shrugged and shook his head. "I'm not sure. All I know is, I'm going to be extra careful this time. We can't afford to lose another nesting ground. Not after last time."

"No we can't. Good bye for now then, Reida-sama."

"Indeed. Tell Luca I said hello, won't you?"

"Of course," Yuda replied with a smile as he watched Reida leave. After a moment, he turned back to the wove wood structure he called home and walked in. Goh was busy training Gai to use his powers and Luca was off somewhere leaving Shin alone to rest.

He smiled at his friend who was currently curled up the bed in one of the lofts. Heading to his own bed he lay down the sleeping adolescent taking care not to wake him. After tucking the youth in, he took a moment to actually look at his new house guest.

Rei, as Reida-sama had called him, was tall and slender, petite would be the most appropriate word. His face was angular but in a hard, sharp way. His hair lay spread under him like a cloud of long, violet strands of silk. And his scent was highly intoxicating, but nothing compared to Shin's.

Speaking of which, it was at that moment that Shin mumbled something in his sleep and Yuda looked over to him. When Shin murmured again and rolled over onto his side, the blue eyed angel rose and strode over to the one he hoped he would one day take as his mate.

The sea green haired adolescent was sleeping fitfully when Yuda settled down on the side of the feather mattress. When the youth mumbled yet again, Yuda winced and ran his fingers gently through the younger angel's hair. The simple motion seemed to calm the youth and he stopped rolling around. Instead, Shin seemed to nuzzle into Yuda's hand.

Smiling fondly, Yuda leaned down and took in a deep breath, filling his nostrils with Shin's utterly intoxicating smell. It definitely wouldn't be long now until Shin's metamorphosis into adulthood. Yuda swore silently to himself that he would anything and everything in his power to ground Shin himself. No matter the cost.

Shin would live.

And Shin would be his.

His alone.

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**A/N: **Hope that was a good introduction to the characters.

**Rate and Review! ;)**


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